East Bridgewater ex crashed online date, pulled knife

Police are now seeking Lee Fruzzetti, 53, who did not appear at his arraignment date.

Joe Pelletier The Enterprise jdpelletier_ENT

EASTON — An online date was interrupted by an ex-boyfriend with a knife last week, police said.

Police are now seeking the arrest of that ex-boyfriend, Lee Fruzzetti of East Bridgewater, who did not appear at his arraignment date in Taunton District Court last week.

Fruzzetti, 53, appeared at the window of Corfinio restaurant the night of Jan. 28, according to Easton Police, banging on the glass around 9:30 p.m.

Inside was a woman he identified as an ex-girlfriend, who reportedly yelled: “I can’t believe you’re doing this — I haven’t talked to you in weeks.”

The ex-girlfriend was on a date with an Andover man she met through an online dating service, police said.

Fruzzetti called on the man to come outside, Corfinio’s manager told police, and then pulled a knife (3 to 4 inches) out of his back pocket.

He lunged at the man and attempted to stab him, the manager said. Fruzzetti missed, then walked away to his white Chevrolet pickup.

The man followed him to his car, where another scuffle occurred, and the manager said Fruzzetti appeared to try to run over the man with his car.

The man told police he did not wish to press charges.

Easton Police later spoke with Fruzzetti’s ex-girlfriend, who lives in Brockton, who said she did not wish to cooperate with the investigation.

Police said they identified Fruzzetti from past encounters and by comparing his driver's license photo with surveillance footage.

Fruzzetti was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, and was scheduled to appear in Taunton District Court on Feb. 1. He did not appear, according to the clerk’s office, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

East Bridgewater Police then attempted to serve the warrant at his Highland Street address, where a resident said Fruzzetti had not been living there for nine months, according to police logs.

Police checked an additional location and were unable to locate Fruzzetti.